Leanna's gift picks: 2012 holiday guide

This season we're asking everyone here at iMore to share some of their favorite gift ideas. Sure, there'll be iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps and accessories included on everyones' lists, just as you'd expect, but there'll also be other stuff, great, geeky, gorgeous other stuff that's as multi-facted and fun as the people themselves. It's my turn and I've found a couple must-haves for the gadget fanatics you'll be shopping for this year.

1Password

We live in a world where, for many of us, our lives are tied to internet. Literally. Not just social networks and reading news, but our bank account, car insurance, college transcripts, email, and more. And even though no one would deny the importance of keeping these account secure, most people use non-secure passwords, often times the same one for many accounts. This is a terrible practice, which is why 1Password is the perfect gift.

1Password makes it extremely easy to have unique, randomly generated, secure passwords for all of your logins. All you need to remember is one password to recall your login information. On your desktop, 1Password will automatically fill in the login fields on websites for you. It's actually faster to use 1Password than to fill out a memorized password on your own.

1Password is available for Mac, Windows, iPhone, and iPad and can be synced together, making it easy to have your passwords with you wherever you go. The development company AgileBits is getting close to releasing 1Password 4 for iOS as a new app, so I recommend on holding off on purchasing the iOS version. However, the current version of 1Password for Mac includes a free upgrade to iPassword 4 when it releases. Since the desktop version is the foundation to the mobile versions, it really is the perfect gift for just about everyone.

AnoStyle for iPhone 5

Although Apple's iPod lineup comes in a multitude a beautiful colors, the iPhone is only available in black and white... until now. The AnoStyle color modification system by The Pod Drop is now available and boy are they gorgeous! The process is very simple and just requires you to send your iPhone to The Pod Drop where they will apply the sophisticated anodizing process they discovered. The process features enhanced durability that even meets military grade requirements. The Pod Drop's methods are actually better than Apple's and minimizes the scratching and scuffing issues present on most iPhone 5's. Once the process is complete the iPhone will be shipped back and the turn around time is only about a week.

Starbucks Gift Card

Almost everyone loves Starbucks and will jump with joy with even a $5 gift card to the popular coffee chain. If you're an iPhone user, sending out Starbucks gift cards are easier than ever with the official Starbucks app for iPhone. Simply browse to the eGifts tab, select if you want to deliver via email or Facebook, select a contact, write a short message, and choose a value between $5 and $100 (in $5 increments). There are 10 different Holiday card styles to choose from as well.

iPad mini

I almost didn't include the iPad mini on my list because it's so cliche and expected, but for good reason! The iPad mini is an incredible device and I find myself using it more than my Retina iPad. The weight and size of the iPad mini is just perfect for casual use and usually worth the compromise of the superior screen featured on the Retina iPad. My iPad mini is Wi-Fi only, but I really wish I had the LTE version so it could take the place of my Retina iPad in my purse.

Jawbone JAMBOX

The Jawbone JAMBOX is by no means "new", but it's still awesome in my eyes. This little box works as a wireless speaker that let's you seamlessly stream and share music, movies, games, phone, and conference calls anywhere. The Jawbone JAMBOX has an output capacity of 85 decibels which enough to fill a fairly large room and the battery will last for up to 10 hours.

If the person you're shopping for would appreciate a more powerful speaker, check out the Jawbone BIG JAMBOX. It's the same thing, just in a slightly bigger package with much more impressive insides.

Olloclip 3-in-one lens system

One of the great features of the iPhone is its camera. And it's a feature that just about every iPhone owner users regularly. The Olloclip 3-in-one lens system will make that already awesome camera even more versatile. It includes external macro, wide-angle, and fish-eye lenses that slide over the iPhone's lens. Not only does it work great, but it's also small enough to fit in a pocket, purse, or bag. The quality combined with portability makes the Olloclip a very useful accessory that nearly every iPhone user will enjoy.

The Olloclip is available for the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and iPhone 5 in red, black, and white.

Reader comments

Leanna's gift picks: 2012 holiday guide

iPad Mini is awesome!! People say "But there's no Retina," yes you're right. Though, it's really not an issue. The only time I even noticed a difference was when I was typing in Safari. This thing is amazing, when you pick it up the first time you wonder how is it soooooooo light? It honestly feels lighter then iPhone 4!

Yes but not ideal, psiclne. I have an 4s and an olloclip. I used to have an invisibleshield and it DID work. Although it will be a snug fit. I cant stand when the screen would bubble up and sometimes when putting the Ollo on and taking it off, it would cause some bubbling of the invisibleshield. You just have to be real careful when slipping on the the Ollo and taking it off, not to damage your invisibleshield..

Olloclip will NOT work with any kind of iphone case.
Olloclip will be a very tight fit with any kind of screen protector, but WILL WORK
Olloclip will work BEST with no case, no screen protector.